Couple gives five siblings the gift of a forever family for Christmas

Arizona couple Brenda and Curt Heuer have much to celebrate this Christmas. They will be sharing the holidays with their five newly adopted children. CBS News reports that the five children are biological siblings Brenda and Curt have fostered for two years. In November, National Adoption Awareness Month, the family became forever when the adoption was finalized. In a rare turn of events, all five siblings are staying together.

Brenda and Curt followed in the footsteps of Brenda’s parents who had foster children throughout her childhood. Brenda was inspired by her parents’ example, and she and Curt decided to open their home to foster children. Not only have they fostered 52 children over the years, they also followed through on their pact to treat every foster child as their own biological child. Through the years, the Heuers have welcomed children ranging in age, ethnicity, and circumstances.

They’ve always tried to keep siblings together, because siblings are often separated in the foster care system. For children in precarious circumstances, being separated from their brothers and sisters can be devastating. CBS notes that the Heuers were adamant: “Every vacation, every camping trip, the kids would come along.” Truly their foster children were always a part of the family, no matter how long or short the stay would be.

In 2014, the Heuers began fostering five siblings: Brianna, 9; Kristyl, 7; Bradley, 6; Emily, 3; and Katie, 2. Like all their other foster children over the years, Brenda and Curt felt strongly that the siblings should stay together and worked to make them feel welcome in their home and part of the family. Gradually, the reality dawned on Brenda: the four sisters and their brother didn’t have anywhere else to go. Their father had passed away, their mother had cut ties, and none of their extended family could take in five children.

Brenda said, “Due to the circumstances, knowing these children would likely be separated, and that’s all they had left in this world is each other—it’s just heartbreaking. We didn’t want to see that happen.” Brenda and Curt felt so strongly about keeping the siblings together in a family home that they decided to make their family permanent. Over several months, the couple discussed the possibility of adopting the children and talked to the siblings. The Heuers were not surprised that the brother and sisters were thrilled with the idea. Brenda admitted, “This is what they had wanted for the last year or two that we had them.”

In the foster care system, these five children may have been separated – not only from their biological parents but also from one another. It is wonderful to see a family that has not only considered adoption as a loving alternative for so many children, but sought to minimize any further emotional scars by keeping the five children together.

Now that the adoption has been finalized, the five siblings will spend Christmas as a forever family. The years ahead will hold lots of boating, camping, and traveling together. Who could ask for a better Christmas present?